Rail bender



G. w. CURTIS RAIL BENDER filed Nov. 7, 1

-FIG.2.

I ghven fog Gaye Wzrj Patented Sept. 16, 1924,

UNITED STATES teaser? PATENT OBFEFHQ E.

RAIL BENDER.

Application filed November 7, 1923. Serial so; s7e,s15.-

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. CURTIS, a citizen of' the United States,residing at Jacksonville, in the county of Duval and State of Florida,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Benders, ofwhich'the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in bending tools and particularlyto bending tools for rails and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensivebending too-l capable of exerting great pressures on a rail or the likefor the purpose of bendingthe rail sharplyor gradually.

Another object of the invention is, to furnish a rail bender which isreversible, that is, one which may be turned upsidedown to grip eitherside of the headof the rail or which may be used at either side of thehead of the rail in reversed positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rail bender having abeam provided at one end with an outwardly extending abutmentrecessed atopposite sides of itsextremity inorder toabut against either side of thehead of a rail. a

A still further object of the invention is to furnish a rail bender witha gripping member designed to grip either side of the head of a rail andto be reversed to engage either 7 side ofthe head of a rail.

I Another object of the inventionis to-provide a bending head swivelledto an adjusting screw and provided with a diametrically arranged lugdesigned to abut against elther side of the head of a rail.

A further object is to furnish a rail bending tool having an L-shapedbeam provided at one-end with an abutment to engage either side of thehead of a rail and provided at its opposite end with a reversiblebending head, and a reversible gripping member adjustably mounted on thebeam between the ends of. the latter.-

With the foregoing objects outlined and Fig. 2 is a top plan view of thetool.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectionalvi'ew taken on line 33 ofFig.2. v

a Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on line 4-4 ofFig.2.

In the drawing, 1 designates astrong metal beam provided at one end withan angular extension or foot 2 terminating in an abutment head 8 havinga horizontally disposed central flange 4' designed to rest with eitherof itsupper or lower surfaces on the upper surface 5 of, the rail to bebent.

The head3 is recessed as shown at 6 on opposite sides, of the flange ,4in order to provide pockets on opposite sidesof the head to receive thehead of the rail. It may fbeseen from Fig. lftha't one of the pockets 6is engaging the head of the rail and'it will be apparent that theopposite pocket may engage the head of the "rail when the beam 1 .isturned upside down or reversed.

The opposite endof the beam 1 is provided with a threaded-aperture toreceivethe screw ,7. This screw has apertures 8 at its outer end toreceive a lining ban (not shown), employed to turn the screw. The

inner end of the screw is provided'with a spool-shaped head 9 on which'abending head 10 is swiveled, the bending head being held in place by ascrew 11 which extends into the groove of the head 9, Th'e'screw 11 thatis, the bendingfhead is also reversed,

Slidably mounted on the beam 1 inter mediate the ends of thelatter', isa substantially T-shaped gripping member13 having an aperture14c'throughwhich the beam 1 passes. The head of this gripping member has recesses15 at opposite sidesyof its web 16, and as shown in Fig. 1, one of theserecesses is engaging the head ofthe railwhile the other recess liesabove said head. When the beam 1 is reversed, it is obvious that theuppermost recess 15 may be brought into en ga ement with the head of therail.

' operation, the parts may be arranged as shown in Fig. 1, and thenalinerbar may prevents the headllO from passing axially be inserted inone of the apertures 8 for will function as afalemmrand the rail will bebent about this point. As shown in Fig. 1, the device is arranged tobend the rail toward the left or in a counter-clockwise di rection. Ifit is desired to bend the same to= ward the right or in a clockwisedirection the Parts. are turned upside down, so thatthe"uppermost-recesses..6 and 15 engage op posite sides of, the head ofihelrail, and then when the screw 7 is turned the rail will be benttoward the right. The flange 12 ot thebending heaid, willof' course lieon the uppe -sur fibef of the rail during the bendin.in'eit'herdirection.

mm the foregoingit is believed that the construction, operation andadvantages of thfiinventionmay be readi-ly understood "b u it isbelieved desirable to point out that in usingthis ra'ilbender forswitch-work, the opeiiatonmay stand in front of the switch, sort-hat hemaybe occupying a safe place. The. device, can be used by constructiongangs for breaking .orbending rails, and with this device as little assiX inches may be broken off the rail, while with other types of rail'breakers it is necessary to waste from fifteen to eighteen inches of therail. The device is preferably of such lengththat adjustment m y be madefrom six to eighteen inches; so that a .iece' lying between thesesizesmay be. broken from the rail if desired. The device may be used forswitchwork where the switch rail leads either to the right or left. Theoperator can stock either side with thisrail bender and work in front ofthe switch with absolute safety.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the details disclosed withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as expressed in, the claims;

What is claimed and desired to be securedby, Letters Patent is:

1. A rail bender including a beam provided at one end with an abutmenthead having upper and lower recesses, either one of which may receivethe head of a rail, gripping member slida-bly mounted on said beam and.adapted to hookover the head of a rail, andabending, headprovided at theopposi e" endof said beam and provided with a screw -for'moving these-meaway from said beam.- I

2. A rail bender includinga beam provided at one end with an abutmenthead adapted to engage either side of the head of a rail, asubstantially T-shaped gripping member slidably mounted on said beam andhaving oppositely extending hooks designed to engage either side of thehead of a raih and a screw threaded in the opposite end of the beamprovided with a bending head adapted to engage either side of the headof a rail.

3,2; rail bender including an. L-shaped metal beam having recessesprovided on opposite sides of the foot of the L designed to engageeither side of the head of a rail, a gripping member slida'blymounted onsaid beam and shaped to engageeither side of the head of a rail, a screwthreaded in the end of the beam opposite the end carrying the foot, anda bending head swiveledon said screw and provided witha fiangeadapted toengage either side of the head of the rail.

i. A rail bender including a metal beam provided at one end' with athreaded aper ture and at its oppositeend with an angular lugterminating in a head provided with an outwardly extending flange havingrecesses at its opposite sides to' engage either side of the head of arail, a gripping member slidably' mounted on said beam and hav ingoppositely extending hooks designed to engage either side of the head ofa rail, a screw engaging the threads of said aperture, and a bendinghead swiveled on one end of said screw and adapted to engage either sideof the head of a rail.

A. rail bender including an Lshaped vmetal beam having a horizontallydisposed outwardly extending flange arranged at the extremity of thefoot of the L, upper and lower recesses in the foot arranged at opposite sides of said flange, each of said recesses being adapted toreceive the head of a rail, a substantially T-shaped metal grippingmember slidably mounted on said beam and having oppositely extendinghooks, either one ot which is adapted to grip the head of a rail, ascrew mounted in the end of the beam opposite the end having the foot,and a head swiveled on said screw and having a diametrically extendingflange adapted to engage either side of the head of a rail.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

GEORGE W. CURTIS.

